Bundling apparatus



April 28, 1959 J. E. PRITCHARD ET AL BUNDLING APPARATUS Filed May l,1957 2 Sheefs-Sheet 1 bev HAMM, A@

TM5/e 4free/vif April 28, 1959 J. E. PRxTcHARD ET Al.

BUNDLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1957 rye/e 4free/vifUnited States Patent O 2,883,925 BUNDLING APPARATUS llohn E; Pritchardand William H. Stokes, Trenton, NJ.,

assgnors to United States Steel Corporation, a corfy -poration of NewJersey Application May 1, 1957, Serial No. 656,398

Claims. (Cl. 100-1) This invention relates to an apparatus for bundlingannular articles, such as coils of wire or rod.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved bundling apparatusadapted to collect a plurality of annular articles, turn them to aconvenient position for compressing and tying them into a bundle, andrelease the bundle for transport.

A further object is to provide an improved bundling apparatus whichincludes duplicate article-supporting carriages, each having anarticle-receiving position and a compressing and tying position, wherebyone carriage can receive articles at the same time articles on the otherare being compressed and tied.

A more specific object is to provide an improved bundling apparatuswhich includes a pair of article-supporting carriages, a rotor mountingsaid carriages and enabling them to move between receiving andcompressing positions, and a compressing device automatically engageablewith articles on whichever carriage occupies the latter position.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, we haveprovided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which isshown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure-1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a bundlingapparatus constructed in accordance with our invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the compressing device fromtheleft as viewed inFigure l; and

, Figure 3 ,is a topv plan view on a smaller scale of the carriages andtrackway therefor.

Our apparatus comprises a fixed upright shaft 10 on which a rotor 12 isjournaled for rotationon a vertical axis on anti'friction thrustbearings 13. The exterior of the rotor carries a pair of diametricallyopposed brackets 1 4 and 14a, to whichuare pivoted a pair of carriages15 and l.15a respectively for swinging on horizontal axes relative totherotor. The two carriages 15 and 15a are of like construction, and eachincludes a sleeve 16, a depending pvot ear 17 fixed to the sleeve, ashaft 18 journaled within the sleeve on antifriction bearings 19, a hub20 fixed to the shaft, and a wheel 21 journaled on the hub circumferenceon antifriction bearings 22. Sleeve 16 has a radial bore which receivesa slidable latch pin 50, whose tip normally lits within a correspondingsocket in shaft 18 to prevent said shaft from rotating. A frame 23 isfixed outside the upright shaft 10 and includes a -sloping substantiallycircular trackway 24 on which the Wheels 21 of the two carriages ride.Spiders 25 are fixed to the outer faces of the respective hubs 20 ofeach carriage, and the outer faces of the spiders carry respectiveU-shaped arms 26 (Figure 3).

In the position shown in Figure l, carriage 15a is in litsarticle-receiving position at the highest point of the sloping trackway24. Spider 25 and shaft 18 of this carriage have been rotated relativeto sleeve 16 to place arm 26 at the top of the carriage, and latch pin50 engaged with the socket in said shaft to hold the arm in ICC thisposition. This arm now slopes upwardly to enable it to receive a groupof annular articles A fed from an adjacent support 27, such as abundling table for coils of wire. The articles gravitate down the armuntil the lowermost rests against the spider 25. In the position shownlin Figure 1, carriage 15 is in its article compressing and tyingposition at the lowest point of the trackway. Arm 26 of carriage 15 ishorizontal to enable the group of articles A to be compressed and tiedinto a bundle, as hereinafter explained. After carriage 15 has beencleared of articles and a suicient number have been loaded on carriage15a, rotor 12 and the two carriages are turned 180 about shaft 10 toreverse the positions of the carriages.

A cooperating compressing device 30 is supported on a trackway 31adjacent the carriage 15 in its article compressing position and ismovable horizontally radially of the upright shaft 10 toward and awayfrom this carriage. The compressing device comprises a chassis 32 and apair of upright frames 33 and 34 fixed to said chassis. As best shown inFigure 2, each of said frames includes an arcuate yoke 35 which carriesa plurality of spaced brackets 36. Grooved rollers 37 are journaled tothe respective brackets 36 and rotatably support a fluid pres- `surecylinder 38. A compressor plate 39 is mounted on the end of the cylinderadjacent the carriage 15 and rotates with the cylinder. A piston andpiston rod 40 are mounted in the cylinder for reciprocable movementtoward and away from the carriage and of course rotate with thecylinder. The piston rod extends through an opening 41 in the compressorplate 39 and at its free end carries a pivoted hook 42. The spider 25 ofeach carriage carries a stirrup 43 which is fixed with respect theretoand is cooperable with said hook. The rearward end of the hook carriesan integral dog 44 engageable with the pivotal mounting on the pistonrod 40 to prevent the hook from dropping below a Isubstantiallyhorizontal position when the cylinder is rotated to a position in whichthe hook opening faces downwardly. The side of the hook opposite theopening carries an eyelet 45 to which a lanyard 46 is attached formanually lifting the hook.

In operation, cylinder 38 first is rotated to a position in which theopening of hook 42 faces downwardly and piston rod 40 is projected fromthe cylinder. The compressing device 30 next is pushed along itstrackway 31 until the hook abuts the stirrup 43 and automatically ridesover the stirrup into engagement therewith. Next pressure is applied tocylinder 38 in a direction to produce relative retraction of the pistonrod. As long as the hook engages the stirrup, the piston rod cannot movein this ldirection,.but the chassis 32, cylinder 38 and compressor plate39 move along trackway 31 and compress the group of articles A supportedon the carriage 15.

When the articles are suiciently compressed, a tie T is applied at thetop within the opening afforded by the U-shaped arm 26. The latch pin 50is then released from shaft 18 and partially tied bundle rotated apartial revolution, with spider 25, stirrup 43, hub 20 and shaft 18turning relative to sleeve 16 and with compressor plate 39, cylinder 38and hook 42 turning relative to frames 33 and 34. Such rotation allowsanother tie to be applied at the top. These operations are repeateduntil the necessary number of ties are applied to the bundle. Next theparts are rotated to return arm 26 to its original position at the topof the carriage, and the latch pin 50 is re-engaged with the socket inshaft 18. Thereafter pressure in cylinder 38 is released, hook 42disengaged from stirrup 43, and the completed bundle lifted from the arm26 with a crane. While the bundle is being tied on carriage 1S, articlescan be loading on carriage 15a for the next bundle.

From the foregoing description it is seen our invention affords a simplemechanism for continuously receiving annular articles and tying theminto bundles. The apparatus facilitates the tying operation by making itpossible to apply each tie at the most convenient location at the top ofthe bundle.

While we have shown and described only a single embodiment of theinvention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, we donot wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scopeof the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A bundling apparatus comprising a rotor journaled for rotation on avertical axis, at least one carriage pivotally connected to said rotor,an arm extending from said carriage, a sloping curved trackway on whichsaid carriage rides, said arm sloping upwardly to receive annulararticles when said carriage is on a high point of said trackway andextending substantially horizontally when said carriage is on a lowpoint of said trackway to enable articles thereon to be tied into abundle, and means cooperable with said carriage for compressing thearticles.

2. A bundling apparatus comprising a rotor journaled for rotation on avertical axis, a pair of diametrically opposed carriages pivotallyconnected to said rotor, respective arms extending from said carriages,a sloping substantially circular trackway surrounding said rotor and onwhich said carriages ride, said carriages being movable between a firstposition in which one carriage is on a high point of said trackway andits arm slopes upwardly to receive articles and the other carriage is ona low point of said trackway and its arm is substantially horizontal toenable articles thereon to be tied and a second position in which thecarriages are reversed, and means cooperable with said carriages forcompressing the articles.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which said arms and saidcooperable compressing means are rotatable with respect to the carriagesto enable bundles to be tied at the top.

4. A bundling apparatus comprising a rotor journaled for rotation on avertical axis, at least one carriage pivotally connected to said rotor,an arm extending from said carriage, a sloping curved trackway on whichsaid carriage rides, said arm sloping upwardly to receive annulararticles when said carriage is on a high point of said trackway andextending substantially horizontally when said carriage is on a lowpoint of said trackway to enable articles thereon to be tied into abundle, a member on said carriage against which articles supported onsaid arm rest, and a compressing device including a movable membercooperable with said first named member for compressing articlestherebetween, and means adapted to be fixed to said first named member.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which said arms and saidmembers are rotatable with respect to the carriage to enable bundles tobe tied at the top.

6. A bundling apparatus comprising a rotor journaled for rotation on avertical axis, a pair of diametrically opposed carriages pivotallyconnected to said rotor, respective arms extending from said carriages,a sloping substantially circular trackway surrounding said rotor and onwhich said carriages rides, said carriages being movable between a firstposition in which one carriage is on a high point of said trackway andits arm slopes upwardly to receive articles and the other carriage is ona low point of said trackway and its arm is substantially horizontal toenable articles thereon to be tied and a second position in which thecarriages are reversed, respective members on said carriages againstwhich articles supported on said arms rest, and a compressing deviceincluding a movable member cooperable with said first named member forcompressing articles therebetween, and hook means adapted to be fixed tosaid first named member.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6 in which each of said carriagesincludes a sleeve pivoted to said rotor, a shaft journaled in saidsleeve, a hub fixed to said shaft and supporting said first named memberand said arms, and a wheel rotatably mounted on said hub and riding onsaid trackway.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 6 in which said compressing deviceincludes a chassis supported for movement radially of said rotor towardand away from the low point of said trackway, a iiuid pressure cylindersupported for rotation on said chassis and on which said second namedmember is fixed, and a reciprocable piston and piston rod in saidcylinder and on which said hook means is mounted.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 6 in which said first named memberis in the form of a spider rotatable with respect to the carriage andsaid arms extend from said spider, and in which said second named memberand said hook means are rotatable with said first named member.

10. A bundling apparatus comprising a rotor journaled for rotation on avertical axis, at least one carriage pivotally connected to said rotor,an arm extending from said carriage, means supporting said carriage formovement, on rotation of said rotor, between a position in which saidarm slopes upwardly to receive annular articles and a position in whichsaid arm extends substantially horizontally to enable articles thereonto be tied into a bundle, and means cooperable with said carriage whenin the second named position for compressing the articles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,327,471 Henry Jan. 6, 1920 1,412,098 Anthony Apr. 11, 1922 2,327,906Kiefer Aug. 24, 1943

